Today is the LAST DAY to participate in the 2020 census!
Here’s how you can make sure you are counted:
YOU MATTER, GET COUNTED
The Covid-19 pandemic has cost Metro hundreds of millions of dollars, and six months after the pandemic began, ridership remains extremely low. According to WMATA, the combined ridership on Metrorail and Metrobus in September 2020 was down nearly 80% from pre-pandemic levels. To address this WMATA has implemented systemwide reductions in service levels and hours. Go to the WMATA Website for details.
To get public feedback related to service reductions, WMATA has scheduled a public hearing for Tuesday, October 13th and is accepting writing feedback by 9 a.m. Monday, October 19, 2020. You can take a survey and provide written feedback here, and click here to learn about ways to participate in the public hearing.
While many of the changes have a limited impact on Park View residents, that can’t be said for the crosstown bus service.
The H2, H4, and H8 lines all have reduced weekday service adjustments, and the H8 also has reduced Saturday service. While these bus routes typically do not have the same high volume of ridership as the north-south routes on Georgia Avenue, 14th Street, and 16th Street, the crosstown travel has long been a challenge for many and those who rely on these routes really don’t have good alternatives to them.
The H8 connections Mt. Pleasant, Brookland and Rhode Island Avenue, and perhaps more critically the H2 & H4 routes connect Metrorail riders and various communities with the Washington Hospital Center. Below is a general map showing the H2, H4, & H8 routes.
You can also watch the 9 min. video below in addition to checking out the WMATA Website.
A lot has happened since the beginning of the year related to redeveloping Park Morton. Some of it is positive, some of it is disappointing, and much of it is causing confusion and angst throughout the community. As the overall redevelopment of Park Morton is complex, split over two sites, and is a mix of local and federal jurisdictions this post will attempt to provide an overview of where things stand and next steps.
The Bruce-Monroe Site
The development for the Bruce-Monroe Site as approved by the Zoning Commission.
As many may remember, the temporary park space that was once the site of the Bruce-Monroe Elementary School located on Georgia Avenue between Irving Street and Columbia Road was selected as the original “Build-First” site for the Park Morton redevelopment.
The Bruce Monroe portion of the project is particularly significant because it would provide 273 affordable units, including 189 in an apartment building, 76 in a senior building, and eight townhomes. Of the 273 units, 90 would be replacement apartments for Park Morton residents. The remaining 109 units would be affordable at 60 percent of the median family income, while 70 would be market-rate. The site would also create a permanent 1-acre park along Columbia Road. (more…)
National Census Day was on April 1st, yet many residents in DC still have not taken the Census. In fact, the percentage of households that have taken the Census as of April 24, 2020, is 49.9%, which is behind the national count of 52.8%.
Map of DC showing Census response rates by Census Tract.
In Ward 1, while the response in some census tracts is above the citywide average (especially true for neighborhoods west of 16th Street), several census tract counts are significantly behind. It is important for every single resident to be counted for many reason – significant reasons being that the Census results help determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into states and communities each year for roads, schools, hospitals, fire departments, and school lunch programs – including federal spending related to the COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts.
Ward 1 Census response as of April 24, 2020
Below is the data for Ward 1 census tracts. I have bolded the response rates below the citywide average. I have also indicated tracts by ANC and neighborhood to help identify where these tracts are located. The following map will also help.
Map showing the location of census tracts in Ward 1.
The current citywide response rate is 49.9%
How You can Participate
To take the census online, all you have to do is go to https://2020census.gov/en.html and answer a few questions related to the people living at your address on April 1, 2020. The list of 17 phone numbers to respond by phone (for multiple languages and TDD) can be found at https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond/responding-by-phone.html
Here are some important things to know before you get started.
How do I follow the response rate for my neighborhood?
It is easy to get updates on how the Census is going. Here’s how:
Thank you to everyone for your participating in the Census. The few minutes you dedicate to the Census today will result in support and funding critical to our community both in the immediate future and for the next ten years!
The DC Grassroots Planning Coalition has partnered with other local organizations to organize a Ward 1 Candidate Forum for this Thursday, March 29th, beginning at 7 pm. The Forum will be at Busboys and Poets on 14th Street. It should be a good opportunity to learn more more about what the Comprehensive Plan is, how it impacts every neighborhood and resident, and why this election matters. More details about the forum can be found here.
Currently, the Office of Planning and the DC Council is in the process of updating the Comprehensive Plan. I’ve been deeply engaged in these efforts beginning in 2017 when I submitted 64 amendments to the plan in the areas of:
Following the DC Council’s March 20th marathon 13+ hour hearing I also submitted written testimony, which all can read my testimony here.
I think this is an important time when we as a city need to figure out what kind of city we want to be. While the stakes are high and the challenges are great, I have confidence that we can get to where our city needs to be by working together.
The garden at the Armed Forces Retirement Home provides Residents and individuals from the surrounding neighborhoods an opportunity to garden, build friendships, and have fun. The Friends of the Soldiers Home manages the garden in partnership with the AFRH.
Joining the garden entails a volunteer commitment of two hours per month and annual dues of $25 for a 200 square foot plot or $35 for 400 square feet (for experienced gardeners, subject to availability). Plots are for growing annual flowers and vegetables for household use.
Volunteer duties include helping AFRH Residents to garden and helping with events for the Residents as well as mowing, weeding, and mulching the common areas of the garden.
For more information contact Sarah Bohl at sarahtrelle(at)gmail(dot)com
On November 6th I reported that DC Water had permits to repair the temporary patch in the area of 513 Kenyon by December 2, 2017. In reaching out to DC Water for a follow up, I learned that they were scheduling the work to commence around November 9th. I’m happy to share that the were was completed last week before the Veterans Day holiday.
The new controlled traffic light and crosswalk on Irving Street between Wangari Gardens and the Washington Hospital Center is nearing completion. Its long been difficult to cross the street at this intersection, making this improvement all the more needed.
(Early rendering showing one potential design by Victory Housing.)
On July 12, at separate meetings, both Advisory Neighborhood Commissions 4C and 1A recommended Victory Housing & Brinshore Development as their primary choice for the development team to redevelop the former Hebrew Home property at 1125 Spring Road into a mixed income/multi-generational community. The two Commissions differed on their second choices.
Both Commissions felt that the Victory Housing proposal “meets the shared community priority of providing 88 units of dedicated, affordable senior housing in the former Hebrew Home. It also provides the largest number of affordable, family-sized units of any of the proposals as well with 29 three-bedroom rental units. In addition, it proposes home ownership opportunities along Spring Road NW. It also provides 75 underground parking spaces, with approximately 1.8 parking spaces for each 3 units of non-senior housing.”
The Commissions’ recommendations will be sent to the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), where the final decision on selecting a development team will be determined.
The Commissions differed on their second choices. ANC4C’s second choice was the NHP Foundation, Fivesquares Development, and Warrenton Group. ANC 1A’s second choice, on the other hand, was the Bozzuto Homes proposal. ANC 1A further selected the Mission First proposal as its third choice. (read ANC 1A resolution at goo.gl/RChVH3 ).
DMPED is expected to select a development team prior to the July 27, 2017 public meeting scheduled to present the District’s intent to declare the Hebrew Home surplus. The meeting’s purpose is to receive comments on the proposed designation of 1125 Spring Road, NW, as surplus property. The surplus meeting is held in order to receive feedback from the community on the District’s finding that the property is no longer required for public purposes. Comments collected at the public meeting will be submitted to the Council of the District of Columbia for its review.
The date, time, and location of the surplus meeting is below:
Date: Thursday, July 27, 2017
Time: 7:00 pm-8:30 pm
Location: Raymond Recreation Center
3725 10th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20010
(Councilmember Jim Graham participating in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new field renovations at the Park View Recreation Center on March 23, 2013).
Last week, we learned the very sad news of the passing of former Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham. The DC Council has announced the following schedule for those wanting to say their final farewells — and I know there are many in the community:
Former Councilmember Jim Graham Farewell
Friday, June 23, 2017
Councilmember Graham’s body will lay in state at the Wilson Building from noon to 5PM.
Program Begins at Noon with the arrival of remains. Elected Officials, Dignitaries and Special Guests will deliver remarks.
* Bow Ties Encouraged
Saturday, June 24, 2017
The Viewing and Religious Services for Councilmember Graham will be held at All Souls Unitarian Church (1500 Harvard Street, NW). The Viewing will be at 10AM, and the Religious Services will begin at noon. Immediately following the services, there will be a repast in the Church’s Multi-Purpose Room. Food and soft drinks will be available. Bow Ties are encouraged.
Flowers and cards may be sent to: Bacon Funeral Home, 3447 14th Street NW, Washington DC 20010
Many in the District knew Jim from his days as Executive Director of Whitman-Walker, and later as Councilmember for Ward 1. He was known as a fierce advocate for residents, particularly for those who needed an advocate the most. His years of service meant that there were few whose lives he hadn’t touched.
Over the past ten years in my service to the community, likewise, I found Jim extremely supportive of community priorities and someone that was eager to work with community members to achieve a better quality of life for all.
From my personal experience along Georgia Avenue, the Councilmember I knew and worked with was actively engaged with the community and MPD on issues of public safety, he was instrumental in getting the Ward 1 Senior Wellness Center on Georgia Avenue, and his support was critical in securing the land for the first phase of the Park Morton New Communities effort at Georgia and Newton. These are a few examples of the progress he brought to Ward 1, with each neighborhood having examples equally impressive to add to the list.
Projects that I was proud to work particularly close with Jim on included the Park View Recreation Center and Park View School. He lent his support to ensure that the Park View recreation center would have a new soccer field, basketball court, exercise area, and playground equipment instead of just a baseball field that no one asked for or wanted. He also supported the renovation of the small historic field house at the rec center. At the school, Jim toiled to achieve a larger phase one modernization of the Park View School building than the city originally planned or wanted to provide.
His passion for Ward 1 and a love of its people, cultures, and history was something we shared and frequently discussed.
I know I speak for many when I say that Ward 1 has not just lost someone who gave his all to ensure that every resident had a brighter future, but also a close and dear friend.
"The territory comprising Park View extends from Gresham Street north to Rock Creek Church Road, and from Georgia Avenue to the Soldiers' Home grounds, including the triangle bounded by Park Road, Georgia Avenue, and New Hampshire Avenue" (from Directory and History of Park View, 1921.)
Metrorail disruptions WUSA-TV – DC News Washington Business Journal
